In today’s Frederick News Post, you can read a wonderful article about how Frederick county is involved in the drive to bring back the American Chestnut. ThorpeWood is mentioned in the article which discusses the plight of the Chestnut and the efforts to bring it back.
In 1997, ThorpeWood established a 374-tree orchard to help scientists develop a resistant strain of chestnut trees that would be viable in the microclimate of the local region.
At ThorpeWood, the hybrid American Chestnut Orchard and Reforestation Project is a collaboration with the American Chestnut Foundation and Maryland Charter of the American Chestnut Foundation.
American chestnut trees were important both economically and ecologically in American forests until a fungal blight that entered the U.S. in 1904 decimated all American chestnuts by 1950. The first long-term goal of the project is to produce a Catoctin hybrid that is resistant to the American chestnut blight. The second goal is to introduce this hybrid into local eastern forests.
ThorpeWood supports volunteer activities that maintain the orchard and serves as a host facility for youth and adult 
organizations committed to the study of chestnuts and the success of our orchard. Contact us, if you would like to learn more!